on Hawaiian wildlife and libraries

I have no pictures for you from this weekend. It was an uneventful week, and because I was on call all weekend, I couldn't explore the far reaches of the island for fear of being called into work. That being said, I could (and did) take call from the beach, so I'm not complaining. A few (brief?) anecdotes from the past week.

While on the beach today, a woman approached me after about 45 minutes to inquire as to whether I was wearing sunscreen. I confirmed that I wear lots. While I thought that would satisfy her, she continued. "Because you're really white." Yes, I know. "I mean... reaaallly white." Thanks, lady. I wanted to tell her that as far as I'm concerned, after a month here, I'm downright tan, but I had a feeling she wouldn't agree. Eventually she laid off the mocking and actually talked to me for a long time. I got a review of the best burger place, chicken and pesto club sandwich, dentist, bar, beach, and tennis courts in the neighborhood. I also got an invitation to her 4th of July party and a reminder that this is a very small island, so I'm not to do anything that I wouldn't want everyone to know about. Good tip. Oh, I almost forgot my favorite part. She told me that after moving here, I will never want to leave, particularly now that we're getting a Target store sometime next year. It's like she knows me. Send a Chipotle and a Kabob Palace this way and I promise to stay forever.

Also this week, I made my first sojourn to Don Quijote, affectionately described to me as 'Asian WalMart.' True enough, they sell a bit of everything, and there is no rhyme or reason to the store's organization. (You can get liquor, a hair dryer, and fresh produce in the same aisle, I swear). For the life of me, I also cannot get anyone to explain why a Japanese company names its store 'Don Quijote.' Seriously, people. This one's keeping me up at night.

I also went to get my library card (my geekiness has not subsided just because I live in paradise). After jumping through a million hoops to prove residency so I didn't have to pay, the librarian asks if I'm there for "internet or DVDs." Um, how about books? "Oh." It's like no one has asked about those contraptions before. Needless to say, other than the fantastic selection of guidebooks about the islands (no wonder they charge the tourists), the selection pretty much sucked.

Finally, the promised note on wildlife. I have a bright green gecko that lives on my patio that I have adopted as my pet. He's cute as all get out. He's kind of camera shy, but I did my best. He is always on the same spot, no matter the time of day. I was told by a colleague here that geckos are very territorial, and that you can throw it across the parking lot and it will always find its way back to the same spot (what kind of childhood must she have had to come to this conclusion?). I'm not going to try that.

He's the good aspect of Hawaiian life. The bad? What, when I was in school in NC, were referred to as palmetto bugs, but here are called cockroaches. They're the size of my head. I had been told that no matter how clean you are, you will get them on occasion. Still, I convinced myself that my brand of cleanliness was different than that of everyone else, so there was no way it would happen to me. Not so much. I've only had two, but they're disgusting (and fly, by the way). I'm still calling them 'palmettos.' There's no way I can use the 'c' word to describe something that can find its way into my home.

My new pet.

Looking at the camera. Seriously. He's very smart.

Not even close to actual size. Bleh.